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Sightings of an alligator swimming in the Brazos River in Waco, Texas, has prompted wildlife experts to warn the public to avoid interacting with the reptile in order to stay safe, local media https://www.kcentv.com/article/life/animals/waco-alligator-here-to-stay/500-aacc8c62-e7fa-415a-9b21-82b7927a32ac reported . This footage was captured near the Waco Suspension Bridge on November 18 by Shelbi Todaro, who told Storyful she "went running down to the sidewalk to get a closer look" once she realized she had spotted the "infamous Waco Gator." According to https://www.kcentv.com/article/life/animals/waco-alligator-here-to-stay/500-aacc8c62-e7fa-415a-9b21-82b7927a32ac KCEN-TV , Jonathan Warner, the Alligator Program Leader at the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, said he believed it to be the same three-foot alligator that was spotted on the banks of the Brazos https://www.facebook.com/wacoparksandrec/posts/726877912817154 back in September . “It's not a public safety threat right now unless we make it one," said Warner, who urged people to avoid the animal, explaining that dangerous situation can arise once alligators "lose their fear and their apprehension of people." "Unfortunately, it's usually from interaction with the public with alligators in unsafe ways, like feeding them or harassing them or shooting at them," Warner said. Texas Parks and Wildlife had no plans to remove the alligator from the river, KCEN-TV https://www.kcentv.com/article/life/animals/waco-alligator-here-to-stay/500-aacc8c62-e7fa-415a-9b21-82b7927a32ac reported. Authorities did not know how the alligator came to be to in the river, but experts said it may have been transported from Louisiana or east Texas and then released in the area, according to the https://wacotrib.com/news/local/waco-alligator-brazos-texas-parks-wildlife-biologist/article_8def2a86-5e42-11ee-a803-338a53d7b0ae.html Waco-Tribune Herald . (Footage by Shelbi Todaro/Storyful via Getty Images UGC)